Piece By: Michael McCarrick
The NFL AP Most Valuable Player award has been the league’s most prized trophy for individual players (with the possible exception the Super Bowl MVP) since its establishment in the 1950s. That one special player out of over 1,500 is universally recognized as the best for that specific season, and it’s a huge indicator for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 30 of the 50 men who won it have been enshrined in Canton. 7 of them are still active and will be eligible for the Hall 5 years after their retirement, but the other 13 have been eligible but did not get elected.
Those numbers suggest that it’s harder to win an MVP and not go into the Hall of Fame than it is to earn both honors. So here’s the story of the 13 men who were the best in the NFL for a season, but didn’t have the career to warrant a spot in Canton.
Earl Morrall: 1968 - Baltimore Colts
The late great Don Shula coached Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Johnny Unitas, Bob Grise and Dan Marino. But Shula himself proclaimed that another quarterback he coached named Earl Morrall was in his personal Hall of Fame. By the time Morrall arrived on the Baltimore Colts in 1968 he was joining his 5th team in 13 seasons. He was supposed to just be the backup until the starter Unitas suffered a preseason injury.
What followed was a shocking MVP season from the 34 year-old Morrall as he led the league in touchdown passes and went 13-1 in one of the most dominant regular seasons by any team in NFL history. Unfortunately his incredible season is overshadowed by an awful performance in Super Bowl III against the 18-point underdog New York Jets. He lost his starting job back to Unitas the following season, but two seasons later Morrall gained redemption in Super Bowl V by filling in for an injured Unitas again and leading the Colts to a last-second win over the Dallas Cowboys. However, it could be argued that his greatest NFL achievement was going 9-0 during the Miami Dolphins perfect season in 1972. Morrall may not be a Hall of Famer, but he’s a part of some of the biggest moments in NFL history.
Roman Gabriel: 1969 - Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have had
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